The Moonlit Vine by Elizabeth Santiago Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community? Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she's left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage. ​ But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they? A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples. ​ Published by Lee and Low . Also available in Spanish, Claro de luna Reviews * "A beautiful ode to Puerto Rican history...Santiago's writing sparkles, even as it draws upon hard realities that Puerto Ricans can face in their everyday lives and sense of cultural identity. Filled with arresting prose and historical stories, this novel brings Puerto Rican history into the present, mixing in realistic themes to which most readers will relate." -- Booklist, starred review ​ * "Readers will cheer for the bold, resourceful protagonist as she uses her newfound power to bring everyone she cares about together ... Mayle's evocative black-and-white art and interstitial chapters centering Ty's ancestors through the centuries round out the contemporary storyline ... Deeply moving, beautifully written, and inspiring." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review ​ "Mayle's elegant b&w art appears throughout and historical interstitials center Ty's forebears as they endured harrowing events such as genocide and colonization. Via evocative third-person prose, Santiago proudly showcases Taíno culture in this empowering debut that is at once educational, realistic, and speculative." -- Publishers Weekly Kirkus Reviews named The Moonlit Vine one of their Best Teen & YA Novels of 2023 About Social Issues Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 selected The Moonlit Vine as one of the titles to be honored on the Rise 2024 Booklist. This book was a "Top Ten" Title, meaning that it was a unanimous YES for all committee members! Read more about this honor here: https://www.ala.org/rt/2024-rise-feminist-book-project-list Honors and Awards Read Articles about The Moonlit Vine Listen to a Podcast Watch the Book Trailer!

This episode is a compelling discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Santiago about why it's important for young people to own their narratives. Through the telling of her own story, Dr. Santiago helps us to understand why it can be harmful to tokenize young people, why students of color require support navigating higher education spaces, and how her own story influences her game-changing work at MENTOR. Click anywhere below to access the episode.

Reflections on A Life by Rhonda Weaver An excerpt from a novel in progress ​ I remember a plaque a friend of mine gave to me about 40 years ago. I had left my very stable full-time job to pursue something less stable – writing. I wanted to bring the fantasies and the stories in my head into the world. It was such a need at that time that my friend, being a great supportive friend, gave me a plaque. It was one of those, “If I had my life to live over…” kinds of things. It was supposedly written by a 96-year-old women reflecting on her life. There were three paragraphs and each paragraph began with, “If I had my life to live over I would…” Some of the things the author would do if she had her life to live over again included running barefoot somewhere or traveling more. As I sit in my comfortable recliner with my cat, Lady Marmalade, on my lap, I can’t help think of that plaque. It was supposed to inspire its readers to live life to the fullest, but it always made me feel bad because there were some things that I didn’t care to do and some that I couldn’t physically do. Now that I am 67 years old and the cancer has decided to reappear, I can’t help but think about that plaque and wonder if I had my life to live over, what would I do differently? Now that I am feeling close to the end of my life, was my life a life worth living? I have been and continue to feel spiritually bankrupt. When I think of death, I think of eternal darkness. I think of not knowing life the way I had known it. All of my beliefs, desires and consciousness gone. I will never be a person again. I will never feel feelings again and it scares the crap out of me. I look to the clock. I have been sitting in this recliner for 6 hours. I had turned the TV off at midnight and had meant to go to bed, but the draw of the dark and the comfort of the recliner made it difficult to move on. There’s also something about sitting in the stillness of the late evening early morning that conjures up the darkest of thoughts like leaving this life and Lady Marmalade. I thought I had come to terms with where I was at this point in my short existence, but maybe I need to go back. Back to the beginning of my life to prepare for the end of it.

Excerpt from Creaex Flex ​ by Desmond Ugoji ​ “I don’t want any trouble at all.” I slowly brought my hands to the air and gave him my most innocent smile. “Relax,” I told him and myself. It was a bright sunny day, perfect for a stroll. The enormous trees of the forest surrounded us and I remembered passing by a dazzling pond. Of course, I would have loved to have taken full advantage of this beautiful day but with the patch of grass still on fire next to me, and a very unstable man with his hands ignited with fire in front of me, it was impossible to do. His skin was similar to mine, a coconut-colored brown. He had short, black hair that was cut in a mohawk and a sharp nose. He wore a black hoodie with ripped jeans, which looked more like this guy made the holes himself because they looked like the size of melons, and he finished the look with some grey, leather boots. I didn’t really know his name or why he was throwing fireballs at me. I was just walking casually through the forest till he started yelling. “Don’t try to hide it! I know who you are” he growled as he launched a barrage of fireballs. I shifted my body to the right to avoid one to the arm. I turned around and sprinted away from more fireballs heading my way. It had been a couple of months since I’d run anywhere close to as fast as right now. I’d been told that my speed put a cheetah’s to shame and since Primary 2, I’d been in a bunch of statewide races, winning gold in the 100 meters, the 1 mile, and the infamous 400 meters where, as a 14-year-old, I completed it in 10.7 seconds. I scurried up a short tree and lifted myself onto a long, sturdy branch. I leaned toward the bole of the tree and grabbed my heart. I haven’t run for at least fifteen seconds but I was already covered in sweat and my breathing was out of whack. I took out a small photo from my pocket of me and Leeb when we were eleven or twelve. I sighed in relief. “Good, the picture is safe.” Because of the flash from the camera, I was frowning while my left hand covered both my eyes. In contrast, Leeb was smiling widely as he always did. I put the photo back in my pocket and jumped down from the tree. I didn’t see any more fireballs so I thought it was safe, more or less. I’d love nothing more than to continue sprinting away but I left my bag back there. How am I gonna get my bag with that homicidal lunat—? “Found ya!” The crazy guy hollered. Around twenty feet in front of me, he stopped at a dime, and in his right hand, he held a fireball the size of a bicycle wheel. It looked just like a spitting image of the sun if it were smaller and way less bright. He took the stance of a major league pitcher and gave me a bitter stare. I put my hands on my knees to stop them from trembling. It’s like being held at gunpoint. I could either run or be a hero and fight. Of course, running is always my first option but I couldn’t afford to lose my bag. I sweated ferociously, so much that it stained my green sweatshirt and my grey sweatpants. A bird flew near the Fire Man and immediately combusted into a fire. I still heard the rapid pounding of my heart despite the loud cackles of the miniature sun. Suddenly, one by one, trees combusted as well. I’m used to heat, heck, I used to light stuff on fire when it was like 110 degrees. But when I tell you the heat the miniature sun was emitting, it was like living on the sun with another sun blasting a heat ray. It got hotter and hotter as more and more trees and birds combusted, and his miniature sun increased to the size of a truck tire. He finished his pitch by chucking the bigger miniature sun straight at me, and, in half a second, my feet moved before my brain could think. I sprinted toward the miniature sun. Now I had one option left and that was to use my own creaex. As I got closer to the miniature sun, my clothes cemented onto my simmering skin, and my right boot combusted on fire. I couldn’t breathe. At this point, it couldn’t be called sweating anymore; I was melting, dripping, possibly evaporating, and anything else ice cream did on a hot day. In a matter of seconds, I stood a few feet away from the miniature sun, showing why having speed can be considered both a blessing and a curse. I saw its ugly, fiery face. I also saw that if I messed up my estimation on the spacing between me and this giant fireball, if I missed one single second and if I overestimated how much heat my body can take, I will die painfully. “Die,” he snarled. I slid my hand to my butt and a thick, green tail, a couple of inches taller than me, appeared. At the base, it started a couple of inches wide and as it curved up it got wider and wider. Leeb used to tell me all the time that it looked like a green chili pepper from his grandma’s garden, which when I thought about it, was a really good comparison. I pivoted 360 degrees and with an immense swipe of my tail, the miniature sun instantly dispersed, leaving only fragments of cinders. To be quite frank, I didn’t know what to expect. I was just as surprised as the guy who threw the fireball. He was frozen stiff as a board and his eyes were wide, bitterly staring at me. I gave him a stare of my own that lasted a couple of seconds, just to show him he ain’t as tough as he thought. I exploded off my left leg and ran straight toward him at top speed. He tripped over himself and closed his eyes, probably thinking, I’m gonna get my head popped off, and he’d be exactly right. I leapfrogged over him instead and continued running because I was on fire. “Hot! Hot! Fire! Fire!” I screeched. I patted down my shirt and pants. I didn’t feel anything but heat. Just the thought that I could be engulfed in a fire had me shook. I ran frantically to the pond I walked by earlier. My tail wobbled up and down and, as usual, the tail felt a little uncomfortable and threw off my balance. But after a couple of seconds, I got used to it. “Ahh—” I was about to scream till I remembered that fire had smoke, and smoke was a big no-no to the lungs. So I held my breath and continued running. After about a minute or so, I spotted the large pond about twenty feet away. Just seeing it made me run faster. I’m not usually the religious type but I could only thank the Almighty up in the sky because I did not think I was going to find it, especially in such a small amount of time. I made it to a small beach and I felt the sand on the sole of my right foot, which was weird because my boot was supposed to be there, but I can solve that mystery another time. As I was at least eight feet away from water, I belly flopped into it and created a huge splash that scared some fish. The water immediately extinguished the fire. I’d never been so thankful for water. I couldn’t care less if the water was contaminated or had sharks. I floated on my back and swiped my tail through the water like it was a paddle. I drifted farther and farther away from the coast. I picked up my head and smelled a toxic scent of smoke coming from the forest. It burned fiercely. Wow. I thought it was just a saying, but fire did spread quickly. I don’t know how to feel about the forest burning. I was happy that I was not in the forest anymore, but I kinda felt bad for the trees that the animals used as their homes. And the burning forest, in a way, looked as if it was painted on a portrait. ​ ​ I looked at my favorite green sweatshirt that I knitted myself. The sleeves were burned off of my shoulder so it looked less like a sweatshirt and more like a tank top. I looked at my grey sweatpants and from the height of my knee to my ankle, it burned off and turned into shorts. I looked at my black fleece boot that I had also knitted as well. The sole of my left boot disappeared and my right boot was completely gone, probably somewhere in the burning forest. The sole of my right foot and toes could’ve been seen through a huge hole in my sock. I lifted my arms over my head and inspected them. I sighed in relief. “Ok, good. Only blisters.” I grabbed my chest. It felt like it’s on fire. But that’s nothing my good ol’ inhaler pump couldn’t fi—, I covered my face with the palms of my hands. “Crap. I forgot my bag.” I take my palms off my face. “I forgot my bag!” I cringed. I forgot! I forgot! I forgot!” What the heck?” ​

Everyone has a story to tell, yet not all stories are told. Creating more narratives that represent the multiple identities and realities in the world starts with you. The Untold Narratives is your one-stop for storytelling. Find narratives, learn best practices and share your stories. It doesn't matter whether you think you are a good writer. We believe in your storytelling, so come learn and share with us! The Untold Narratives is a website that will help you release the stories within and share them with others. Stories Read our blog and submit story ideas to be included. We will help you publish your story ideas. Events Connect with other writers through online events. You can join from anywhere! Curricula Learn the craft of storytelling here. Topics include Poetry, Memoir and Fiction writing to name a few. Contests Each month a story idea will be selected to be published on our blog. Winners will earn $50 and bragging rights! For her fellowship project, Kelsey used a multimedia approach to imagine the future Japanese American Community. The storytelling is inventive and brings to life the ideas of Japanese American identity, personal memory, social community and digital technologies. We hope you read more! -Liz Santiago, Founder of The Untold Narratives TUN Fellow: Kelsey Ichikawa For this project, I started with this question: decades from now, what will the Japanese American community be like? Living in the wake of World War II internment, assimilation, geographic displacement, the model minority myth, and cultural dispersal, what do we hope for, and what do we fear? I think this is where speculative fiction can provide openings for our collective future-making. My goal was to imagine an archive of the future, to create pieces of our future history. During this 6-month fellowship, I’ve created a variety of mediums for this collection, including excerpts from an academic paper, a business pitch, interview transcripts, poetry, and journal entries to explore interactions between Japanese American identity, political and personal memory, social community and mutual aid, and digital technologies. ​ Read her co mplete work here: Kelsey Ichikawa An Excerpt from TUN Fellow Kelsey Ichikawa's Work Join our Mailing List! Info@theuntoldnarratives.com

Black skin By Dr. G ​ Society has adopted a myopic view in response to far too many social problems, A highly individualistic stance of “me and mine have what we need. Y’all are on your own,” Defying the conventional American belief that individual effort triumphs over circumstances. Every single one of us knows someone who is surmounting difficult circumstances. Why do we allow the drawing of an ideological line in the sand Why do they perpetuate the neglect The wholesale abandonment of segments of our population? ​ Why do we participate in “adverse selection” The neglect of whole people groups? Why do they support practices that result in market failure Benefiting those few who are investing in building and maintaining An ever-expanding prison system? Straining social programs, Forcing more people to rely on government assistance to feed and house themselves? It seems that they willfully starve public education of critical funds and, instead, Direct those funds to incarcerate the uncooperative and “dangerous” poor of “Third America.” ​ Remaining is the frontline population of “Second America.” Forced to work for non-living wages, Risking their lives without benefits Working longer hours to make ends meet. This essential class is left exhausted and without representation in decision-making venues, As this systemic failure cycles through and becomes (inter)generational. ​ Meanwhile, First America, calling themselves the elites make more and more money, Influence policies more to their benefit, Privatizing the prison system, for example, On it goes. As I write, few are experiencing record profits, While the rest grow poorer and more desperate. This starved reality continues to erode “freedom” for far too many. How free are we as a nation When our young men with Black skin Continue to die at the hands of those Our tax dollars pay to protect us? ​ #The Untold Narratives #We Bridge Belonging

Tags: Caribbean, History, African, religion, non-fiction

The Moonlit Vine The Moonlit Vine can be a wonderful addition to your English and History curricula. To learn more about the content of the book, visit The Moonlit Vine overview page. To enhance student understanding of the material, you can bring the author, Elizabeth Santiago, to your school for a visit. Here are details around school visits, lectures, workshops and other discussions . ​ Potential Curricular Topics to Accompany The Moonlit Vine To help scaffold integrating the book into your lessons, below are some potential topics, guiding questions, and articles to include in your planning . These are only a few ideas to consider. ​ Topic 1: Who are the Taínos? Background Reading (to begin): Genes of “Extinct” Caribbean Islanders Found in Living People . Science Magazine Researchers Find Cave Art in Uninhabited Caribbean Island . Repeating Islands Abuelas, Ancestors, and Atabey: The Spirit of Taíno Resurgence . Smithsonian National Museum of The American Indian What Became of the Taíno . Smithsonian Magazine Guiding Questions: Taínos are still here! Recent discoveries reveal the truth about the existence of people who were said to have become extinct. What does that say about the power of narrative and which stories and histories are elevated and learned ? Why are the Taíno called Taíno? Why do Puerto Ricans refer to themselves as Bori n queños? What are the Taíno contributions to language, history and culture? ​ ​ Topic 2: The History of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican Identity Background Reading (to begin): The History of Puerto Rico . Britannica.com Puerto Rico - History and Heritage . Smithsonian Magazine History of Puerto Rico . Frommer's Guiding Questions: How has music, food, religion, and belief systems been influenced by Puerto Rico's African, European and Indigenous cultures? What is the Jones Act of 1917 and what is its relevance to Puerto Rican history and identity? How is Puerto Rican migration to the United States similar or different to other groups who have come to the U.S. to pursue economic stability? ​ Do you want something more in-depth? Check out publisher Lee and Low's Teacher Guide ! School Visits and The Moonlit Vine Specific Workshops ​ In person or virtual school visits, lectures or presentations 1-hour to 90-minute long presentation and book talk $500-$750 In an hour or 90-minutes, there will be an overview of the book and the inspiration for it, selected readings from the book​ and open discussion. Elizabeth has also met with student creative writing groups to review student projects and discuss writing craft. ​ In person or virtual workshops 90-minute to 3-hour long workshop $500-$1000 Workshops typically include an overview of the book and the inspiration for it, selected readings from the book​ and open discussion. Building off that, workshop topics include identifying and capturing little known histories, tapping into your story​, writing about ancestors and writing about family and community. ​ Covering Travel for In-Person Events Local (within 1-2 hour driving distance of Boston, MA) does not require an overnight stay. No additional coverage for travel needed. Non Local (more than 2 hours from Boston, MA) depends on location, but train or airfare should be covered by requester as well as one night of hotel stay, again, depending on location. ​ Visit Elizabeth's Teaching Books page to learn even more about her and The Moonlit Vine! ​ Reach out to discuss options and schedule a visit! Contact Us

The Community Narrative Fellowship, a project of The Untold Narratives, is a paid opportunity for new storytellers to connect to their elders and community members by elevating their histories, voices, and assets. This program provides interview and writing training, support and collaboration from storytellers and community leaders while nurturing the development of untold narratives. The program kicked off in June 2022 and culminated with a showcase in December 2022. See below to meet the 2022 Fellows and see their projects. Meet Our 2022 Community Narrative Fellows! ADESUMA OLUNHENSE is a Nigerian-American writer from New York. The child of immigrants, she grew up surrounded by books, and tried to make her own stories when she didn't quite like the endings. She graduated from Northeastern University with a combined BS in Psychology and Linguistics, and currently works in the nonprofit sector. She believes in the power of telling your story, especially when you can't see yourself in the ones around you, and the immeasurable impact it has on others. In her free time, Adesuwa loves reading, cooking, falling into Wikipedia black holes, and taking day trips. Read Adesuwa's work now. JACQUELINE PEREZ VALENCIA is the Program Coordinator for the Solis Policy Institute at the Women’s Foundation California. She is a first-generation college graduate committed to fighting for the dignity and respect of underserved communities. She received her B.S. in Sociology and minor in Business Management from the University of La Verne. She currently serves on multiple boards and is a mentor to a recent high school graduate through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. For fun, Jacqueline enjoys working on art projects, collecting unique jewelry, and dancing. If she were to have one super power, she would want to fly! SHAYAN KAVEH is a multidisciplinary storyteller and environmental science student residing in Oakland, the unceded homeland of the Chochenyo Ohlone people. As a queer Iranian-American, Shayan grounds his interdisciplinary process in collaboration across experiences, communities, and place. He currently is a Master's Student in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara, studying the politics and economics of the environment with a focus in strategic communications. Shayan aspires to support social justice movements through community-based research and policy advocacy. If he could have any super power, he would want to be capable of nuclear fission! is a researcher, museum and sci fi enthusiast, and budding writer with interests in the intersection of science, politics, and art. She has been involved in grassroots advocacy in San Jose and Los Angeles and now lives in Boston. She graduated with an AB in neuroscience and philosophy from Harvard and currently works as a lab manager for the GenderSci Lab. Experience Kelsey's work now. KELSEY ICHIKAWA CLAIRE PLAGENS is a survivor, social work professional, and advocate. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work from Michigan State University. While a graduate student, Claire concentrated her studies on gender-based violence in the context of activism, advocacy, and organizational and community leadership. Claire is currently a project coordinator with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and has a background working in state and federal policy advocacy on issues related to Title IX and sexual abuse prevention and response. Read Claire's work now. DESHAUN RICE previously studied music and film at Georgetown University. He currently focuses on youth employment initiatives with America’s Promise on the Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships team. He also works closely with the YES Project, where he has helped guide community investment and engagement efforts, and has written on various employment-related topics—most recently in a piece for Forbes.com focused on class dynamics in the workplace. He is the father of one 4-year-old son and the oldest of 8 kids. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to and making music. Experience Deshaun's work now. AMINA ABUTHAHIR is a recent college graduate from Cal State Long Beach where she got a bachelors in Political Science. Her Muslim and Tamil identities inform her persepective around her. Amina uses art and writing to amplify her voice in the world. She works on community building and creating solidarity with other marginalized folks. Experience Amina's work now.

These NYC kids have written the history of an overlooked Black female composer ​ By Anastasia Tsioulcas ​ December 2, 2021, 11:39 AM ET. Click on picture below to read the article: